A major shake-up looms at the Customs Anti-Narcotics Unit (CANU) after nine officers, including acting head Orville Nedd, received letters on Thursday and Friday last informing them that they had failed their polygraph tests and asking them to submit in writing, the reason/s for this.
A source close to the unit informed Stabroek News that the letters had stunned many of the recipients and some were pondering their next move since after spending years of seizing, incarcerating and persecuting persons involved in the drug trade, going back into society may pose a challenge.
The source was concerned that many persons risked a lot to bring drug peddlers to justice and argued that if anyone from the unit lost his/her job as a result of the tests, s/he should be properly compensated. “A man on that side of the drug trade is not a man who is safe because this whole thing involves risking your life and by extension risking the life of your family and so his movements would have to be very much curtailed so the issue now is one of proper compensation,” the source asserted.
This newspaper was told that some of the letters were received on Thursday afternoon while the other were received on Friday morning. Those persons were asked to respond by midday on Friday, explaining what they felt may have led to their failure of the test.
Three airport staff, another man who is listed on the unit’s pay sheet but does not operate out of it, an intelligence officer, two investigative officers attached to the unit, another attached to the seaport and the acting CANU head, received the letters, the source said. CANU is made up of approximately 45 staff members. However, some secretarial staff as well as security personnel were not made to do the tests as well as others who were on vacation leave, this newspaper was informed.
President Bharrat Jagdeo had earlier asserted that those who failed the lie-detector test would have their service terminated. Government had defended the course of action as being done to ensure the integrity of persons employed at the unit. Jagdeo also said government was simply ensuring that the unit was one which it could rely on as the fight against drug trafficking continues.
He was also asked about the government’s preparation for any legal action against it, because of any of the looming dismissals and in response he informed that the unit’s employees were contract workers adding that the government reserved the right to terminate their services any anytime.
This newspaper attempted to obtain a response from Home Affairs Minister Clement Rohee as to whether the tests would be the sole basis upon which the CANU officers could be fired.
Instead the minister said he had noticed many letter writers commenting on the tests who were “not qualified” to comment. He further stated that the individual who conducted the tests “is the number two man” from the American Polygraphers Association and added that results from such tests were internationally accepted.
